SDCTE Monthly Poll

November 2002

Topic: Censorship

For many years, American schools have been pressured to restrict or deny students access to books or periodicals deemed objectionable by some individual or group on moral, political, religious, ethnic, racial, or philosophical grounds. These pressures have mounted in recent years, and English teachers have no reason to believe they will diminish. The fight against censorship is a continuing series of skirmishes, not a pitched battle leading to a final victory over censorship.

--NCTE, "The Students' Right to Read," NCTE Positions and Guidelines

NCTE takes a firm anti-censorship stand, and they offer affiliate groups like ours a number of resources to fight censorship. But is censorship a big issue for English teachers in South Dakota? That's what our November poll may determine.

1. What best describes the institution where you currently teach?

   elementary school

   middle school

   junior high

   high school

   college or university

2. How long have you been teaching?

   This is my first year.

   2-5 years

   6-15 years

   16-25 years

    more than 25 years

3. Have you ever been directly involved in a censorship incident?

Yes

No

Please include any thoughts, comments, or stories in the box below.

4. Have you ever been indirectly involved in a censorship incident? (E.G.: Do you have first-hand knowledge that a colleague's literature selections have been challenged?)

Yes

No

5. Do you feel censorship is a big issue in your local community (your school or town)?

    Yes

    No

    Uncertain

6. Do you feel censorship is a big issue in South Dakota?

    Yes

     No

    Uncertain

7. What advice would you give other teachers on dealing with book challenges?

8. If you have additional comments, please enter them in the space provided below.

If you have topic suggestions for future SDCTE Monthly Polls, enter them in the space provided below. (Feel free to include sample questions!)

This page was last updated on September 21, 2004 , by DJW.